Avoid Blocked Drains by Following These Best Practices
Having blocked drains is never a fun experience. Between the frustration of water left standing in your tub or sink, the potential foul odours, and much more, it’s better to avoid this issue than to ever need to deal with it. What’s more, with the holiday season around the corner, the last thing you need is a busy kitchen or bathroom with drains that are backed up from so much use.
At S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting, our Brisbane plumbers are experts in clearing out blocked drains—and preventing these issues from occurring in the first place. As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to make sure your home is ready for guests all throughout the home. Here are our top tips you can use year-round to avoid blocked kitchen sink drains in your home.
Never Pour Grease Down the Sink
Grease is one of the number-one culprits when it comes to blocked drains. This is because as grease cools, it congeals and forms into a more solid substance. While the grease in your pan from cooking bacon may look like any other liquid now, it won’t stay that way while travelling through your plumbing.
One of the best rules of thumb for avoiding blocked drains is to dispose of grease in the trash, rather than down your sink. While some amount of grease and oil will inevitably travel through your plumbing, it’s best to minimise the amount as much as possible.
Avoid Washing Away Coffee Grounds
Another common cause of blocked kitchen drains is coffee grounds. While they may seem like harmless granules, coffee grounds tend to clump up when wet, which creates a high potential for blocking off your drains and pipes.
As with grease, it’s best to dispose of used coffee grounds in your trash instead of down your sink. This will help to avoid potential problems with clumping grounds in the future.
Use Your Garbage Disposal Wisely
While garbage disposals can certainly be convenient, they’re a bit of a double-edged sword at times. Garbage disposals help by breaking down chunks of food that may incidentally make it into your sink—however, this leads many homeowners to believe they can dispose of most food waste in this way.
However, overusing your garbage disposal can lead to drainage issues, as food particles can begin to build up in the unit and may even start to enter your plumbing. Further, garbage disposals are no better at dealing with grease than your drains. Therefore, if you live in a home that still features a garbage disposal, don’t use it as your primary means for throwing away food scraps—and keep it well maintained.
Keep Hair Out of Bathroom Drains
Moving from the kitchen to the bathroom, hair becomes public enemy number one. Hair frequently collects in drains, and when paired with grease or cleaning products, it can form a mass in your drains and pipes.
One of the best ways to prevent hair from causing blocked drains is to use one of the many available hair-catching devices made for shower drains and sinks. These devices, which are typically less than $20, can save you plumbing headaches by collecting hair and enabling you to dispose of it in the trash.
Don’t Trust “Flushable” Wipes
Wet wipes are a convenient disposal cleaning product that many folks keep in their bathrooms for a wide variety of purposes. However, if you do use these in your home, be sure to never flush them down your toilet.
It’s true that many brands of wet wipes say “flushable” on the packaging. Unfortunately, this is misleading, as these products simply don’t break down as easily as toilet paper—the only foreign object you should ever flush down your toilet.
Blocked Drains? Call S&J Plumbing!
If you’re faced with blocked drains now or this holiday season, S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting is ready to take your call! Our team is available for prompt drain cleaning services, and between our expertise and specialised equipment, we leave no drain uncleared.
The next time you’re faced with a severely clogged toilet or a shower that won’t drain, don’t reach for the plunger—reach for the phone. Call S&J today!